NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS: Golden Bear family enjoying special season

DURHAM, PA (May 22, 2010) – Most families will be making the trek to Cary, North Carolina to watch the Kutztown University baseball team play in the NCAA Division II National Baseball Championship. For one particular family, they will be getting a three for the price of one deal on this trip.

Head coach Chris Blum also happens to be the cousin of pitching standout Nathan Reed and the uncle of freshman Brandon Shurr.

It is the first time that Reed and Shurr have ever played together and the first instance of Blum coaching anyone related to him. In typical Blum fashion, he was thorough on his recruiting of each athlete and had their best interest in mind.

“I still make them obey the same rules and if they do something wrong, they will pay the same consequences that anyone else would receive,” said Blum. “I made sure not to show any favoritism and knew that would make them feel comfortable.”

Although Shurr is a freshman and Reed is a senior, they are both in their first year at KU. The continuous success achieved at Kutztown is what drew them both to Kutztown to be a part of something special. Their wishes were answered with the 2010 season and getting to see special moment after special moment.

In the span of one month this season, Blum become the winningest baseball coach at KU, Shayne Houck broke the single season home run record, Reed threw a no-hitter and the team turned a triple play. In the postseason the Golden Bears battled back from an opening round loss to win the Atlantic Region and Blum earned his 300th career victory.

“With us making the world series, I'm sure coach is glad that I chose to come here,” said Reed. “I feel like I had a big impact on the team which is what I wanted for him. I had high expectations when deciding to join this team.”

The trio knew that the season would be special, from both a family and team standpoint.

“We knew that the three of us being together would be fun,” said Shurr. “It would be interesting for other family members to get to come and see all of us.”

Shurr also revels in the moment of getting to see his cousin dominate the opposition firsthand.

“I watched him pitch a lot in high school then he went to the University of Pittsburgh and I didn't get to watch him so much,” said Shurr. “So it is really cool to get to see him as a teammate play now.”

And Reed has taken his younger cousin under his wing to try to make his college experience the best that it can be.

“Playing alongside Brandon is awesome,” said Reed. “We call each other “cuz” and it is a great experience. With him in his first season at college I try to teach him all that I have learned over the years. It is really cool that in his first season he gets to make it to the national championship.”

The trip to Cary, North Carolina for Blum, Reed and Shurr is a moment that they will all cherish. But they do not think of themselves as the only family playing for the national title.

“The whole team is a family,” said Blum. “We care about and love each other as if we are all brothers. At regionals they were pushing, shoving and yelling in the dugout. It just shows that they care and are intense. We do that amongst ourselves and not with the opponent, but if a team does come at us we have each others backs.”

--KU--

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